Split Image

57

AFTER LUNCH they walked back to the station, where Sunny had parked. It was late summer, and cooler than it usually was in August. The sky seemed clean and fresh, and the air was soft. The houses of the old town were built intimately next to each other and to the street. There were a lot of people walking around.

"You never told me who else was asking advice," Sunny said.

Jesse told her. By the time he finished they had reached the police station and were leaning on Sunny's car in the parking lot.

"Wow," Sunny said. "That's some woman."

"You'd be even more impressed with her fortitude," Jesse said, "if you knew Normie."

"Have you listened to the tape?"

"The one she left, and five more she sent over," Jesse said.

"How was that?"

"Awful," Jesse said. "A lot of Normie talking about what a stud he was. A lot of sound effects from them having carnal knowledge."

"Ugh," Sunny said.

"Think how it was for her," Jesse said. "But she never let on."

"You think she might kill him?" Sunny said.

"She might," Jesse said. "Ognowski's father might. Ray Mulligan might, if he knew."

"You do have a full plate," Sunny said.

"I do."

"Do you have a plan?" she said.

"I'll talk to the DA," Jesse said. "But I'd say I have enough to arrest Normie. Even if I don't, I can bring him in and play the tapes for him."

"And if you're lucky, he'll die of embarrassment," Sunny said.

"And of course there's still the Bang Bang Twins," Jesse said.

"You say Normie was a bodybuilder?" Sunny said.

"Big-time," Jesse said.

"My knowledge of them is secondhand," Sunny said. "But it certainly seems possible that the twins might have played their game with a healthy young muscleman."

"Or a strapping thug like Petrov Ognowski," Jesse said.

"They played it with you," Sunny said.

"Who can blame them for that," Jesse said.

"Not me," Sunny said. "You have anything else to do?"

"I'm going to see if I can find Bob Davis," Jesse said.

"Will you do something for me?" Sunny said. "Will you run Jarrod Russell for me?"

"Sure," Jesse said. "Who's he?"

"The Patriarch of the Bond of the Renewal."

"Jarrod Russell," Jesse said.

Sunny nodded and leaned forward and kissed Jesse on the mouth. Jesse kissed her back. They embraced. Then each leaned away without releasing the other.

"Good luck," Sunny said.

Jesse patted her on the backside.

"To us both," he said.